Completing the SMARTER concept

Welcome back to Prosperaptitude. If you’ve ever wanted to be a better version of yourself: make more money, be smarter or fitter, etc… You’re in the right place!

In this edition, we will finish explaining the SMARTER acronym, but let’s recap what has already been discussed.

S stands for specific. Goals that need to be achieved cannot be nebulous. An example of a specific goal work toward being able to run an 8-minute mile. This leads us to the next letter.

M stands for measurable. Using the example above, we can measure our progress towards achieving an 8-minute mile by timing our practice runs.

Now that we’re all caught up, let’s move on to the other letters.

A means attainable. You must ask yourself if the goal is achievable within the timeframe that you or someone else established. A certain dash of realism is needed here. If you’ve never run a mile in your life, achieving an 8-minute mile in a week may not be the smartest goal to set. We’ll come back to this point.

R stands for relevant. If you’re training for a powerlifting competition, setting the goal of an 8-minute mile while you’re prepping for the powerlifting competition would not be smart. The goal must work hand in hand with your overall vision- in this case, a powerlifting competition does not require much cardiovascular fitness. Your time would be better spent working on the skills necessary to win the competition.

T means time-based. This works in conjunction with “attainable” above. Set a realistic yet ambitious timeline in which you want to achieve the goal. Assuming you’ve never run a mile before, a pre-test should be conducted to assess your current level of speed for the mile. Once complete, a training program can be developed. If you’re a pretty fast runner, you may not need more than a month or two to achieve your goal.

E stands for evaluate. During your training program, you want to evaluate your speed every now and then. For people unfamiliar with working out, getting faster at running does not entail running the same distance every time. So somewhere during the training program, you would have to time yourself once or twice before your time-based deadline.

The final R stands for re-adjustment. If during your training, you find that you’re actually getting slower, changes would need to be made. The ability to modify your training will help you reach your ultimate goal.

While we used a fitness-based example, the SMARTER concept can be applied to any goal. Have a sales goal you need to achieve in the quarter? Need to make a certain number of widgets before the end of the year? If possible, establish your baseline performance. Take resources and time into account prior to setting your goal. This applied knowledge will ultimately help you achieve success. Never stop growing!

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